I like buyback. Not sure how it'll affect the tourney scene since that's what people seem concerned about, but I don't care since I play "casual" and have been playing with buyback and all the past mechanics anyway

I like to play casually as well. However, since the only source of players I have right now is MTGO I have to be careful who I play with. Many people come in saying they're casual - while they showcase their All-Rare decks. If I were playing RL Magic I really wouldn't care about how these cards might affect the game...

-Ferret

"Besides what affects the Pro Tour eventually trickles up to the Casual scene..."

You know, Ferret...having a deck that uses a lot of rares doesn't make it less casual. It just means that the particular cards that fit into your deck HAPPEN to be rare. A deck is casual based on its playing style, its fun factor, and how innovative it is - the rarity of its cards does not and should not play into whether it qualifies as a 'casual' deck. For that matter, why should a deck have to "qualify"?! It's a game. Have fun with it.

Good point. I guess I'm talking more about some of the "Power Rares" that find their way into a lot of the cookie-cutter decks that are pretty prevalent on MTGO. Undoubtedly, you've seen what I'm talking about: Some kid loses to a fantastic deck and they go out of their way to snag all of the rares of that deck to make a copy for themselves. Not enough people take the same time that you do to create powerful decks that are actually ORIGINAL...

-Ferret

"I don't mind losing as long as I know that the person beating me took the time to create the deck themself..."

The Atog was originally taken out of print in Revised because there were no artifacts at the common level for him. Then, it was brought back in 5E, but newbies didn't grasp the concept, so out it went again by 6E.

It is okay to bring back.

As for Lotus, it will not make it back. We will get a cheap substitude, like Lion's Eye Diamond.

It's highly doubtful to the point of 99% that Black Lotus will ever be brought back (along with the rest of the P9). It's just Lotus-related, if not a reprint, like any other card that has a lotus pic.

I'd still like to know where I can obtain non-tournament copies of the P9. Didn't someone once mention that there was a promotional set of them printed?

As for Mirrodin, I considered Tempest and Invasion as the sets that turned the environment on it's head and we're due for another set like those! Honestly, for as much as I enjoy the current T2 envirnment, it's the only thing on the menu .